Boothbay Harbor Opera House: Hot Club of Cowtown

Mon, 09/26/2022 - 3:45pm

Story Location:
86 Townsend Avenue
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538
United States

    They’ve been christened “America's premiere hot jazz and western swing trio – an arsenal full of technique and joy,” Jon Caramanica, New York Times

    Since its beginnings in the late 1990s, the Hot Club of Cowtown’s star has continued to rise as its reputation for jaw-dropping virtuosity and unforgettable live shows has become the band’s global brand. These stars of hot jazz and western swing play Midcoast Maine’s historic Boothbay Harbor Opera House on Saturday, Oct. 8

    Lauded for its “down-home melodies and exuberant improvisation,” by the London Times, the Hot Club has woven a combination of seemingly disparate styles together to its own magical effect, setting up camp “at that crossroads where country meets jazz and chases the blues away” says The Independent. The band is “conscious always that above all else, the music is for dancing and an old-fashioned good time,” reports the New York Times. American Songwriter observed that “the excellent three players of this band could be doing anything but have chosen to honor the greats of jazz and swing with their sound.”

    Celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, the band has toured on its own and with artists including Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Gatemouth Brown, the Avett Brothers, Dan Hicks, Bryan Ferry, Roxy Music, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, the Mavericks, the Dustbowl Revival, and others. Festivals highlights include the Women in Jazz series (part of Jazz at Lincoln Center), the Cambridge Folk Festival (UK), the Glastonbury Festival (UK), the Fuji Rock Festival (Japan), Byron Bay Blues & Roots Festival (AU), the National Folk Festival (US and AU), the Stagecoach Festival, the Winnipeg Folk Festival (CA), Waiting for Waits Festival (SP), the grand opening of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, the Rochester Jazz Festival, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, traveling as US State Department Musical Ambassadors to Azerbaijan, Armenia, Algeria, the Republic of Georgia, and the Sultanate of Oman, and being inducted into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame.

    There newest album, “Wild Kingdom,” was released in May 2022 and is their first collection of songs in a decade. It will be available at the concert.

    Advance discounted tickets are $30 and available from the box office at 86 Townsend Ave., open Wednesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by calling 207-633-5159. The box office is open  Regular tickets are $35 and available online at boothbayoperahouse.com and on the day of the show at the door. Doors for seating open at 7 p.m., with music kicking off at 7:30. This evening of hot jazz and western swing is made possible thanks to generous support from the Knickerbocker Group.